1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of electronic business (e-Business), and more particularly, to a method for improved customer recognition and call management.
2. Description of the Related Art
The pervasiveness of the Internet has allowed companies to exploit electronic communications to engage in what is commonly known as e-business activities with their customers. E-business involves conducting business on the Internet. As such, e-business includes not only the buying and selling of goods and services, but also servicing customers and collaborating with business partners. To accommodate this vast range of activities, companies typically establish a customer relationship management (CRM) system.
A CRM system can include a suite of products which can provide the infrastructure necessary for tracking and supporting customer related activities. CRM systems can be used to establish a detailed understanding of customer traits and characteristics, which can be used to guide customer interactions and tailor products and service offerings. To that end, CRM systems typically gather different forms of customer information to establish customer profiles. If the CRM system is equipped with an interactive voice response unit and a switching system, the CRM system can be used with the telephony equipment to aid in providing automated call handling and interactive caller support.
Many businesses have attempted to integrate call processing with customer profiles so that when a service agent receives a call from a customer, the customer's profile is readily available to the service agent. Regardless of the level of integration between the call processing system and the CRM system, however, for a CRM system to function properly, the caller first must be identified. Typically, the caller must key in or speak a password or other identifier through a telephony interface. The received customer call then can be matched to a caller profile. Because most conventional CRM systems are designed to pose a minimal bother to callers, frequently such systems ask for minimal identifying information. Additionally, many users prefer to use short codes or other identifiers which can be easily remembered. Taken together, the use of minimal identifying information and predictable codes may lead to a CRM system that is easily compromised. Further compromises in security can arise when third parties overhear a customer speaking or see a customer key in a password and/or account number.
To date, however, the alternatives have included asking the customer to be wary about who may be listening or watching and querying the customer for additional information. Being wary is not a foolproof solution and querying the customer for additional information often occurs at the cost of irritating the customer. Other automated systems require customers to provide identifying information at several points within a given telephone call. Although this can enhance security, customers can become impatient with repetitive and redundant production of personal and/or identifying information.
In consequence, unauthorized users may gain access to an individual's sensitive information through a conventional CRM system. Once access has been obtained, unauthorized users can initiate harmful and/or illegal acts such as identity theft. Still, the mere act of impersonating another customer when interacting with a CRM system can significantly impact the victim's customer profile with a given business. For example, if the impersonator is argumentative or files a grievance and the customer profile is updated to reflect such incidents, the actual customer may be treated differently during a subsequent telephone call to the business.